Bridge



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. DAIGLE.

(No Model.)

BRIDGE.

Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

WITNESSES C @OM C C MQAA 9m (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. DAIGLE.

BRIDGE.

No. 332,058. Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

WITNESSES 1.7 V'EJV'TOR .lttomeys mm %mm FFICEQ MARCELIN DAIGLE, OF HOUMA, LOUISIANA.

BRIDGE.

Application filed October 3, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, llIAROELIN DAIGLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Houma, in the parish of Terrebonne and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of my improved draw-bridge, showing it spanning the stream. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same, showing the bridge drawn back; and Fig. 8 is aplan view of the bed and carriage of the bridge, the bridge proper being removed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures.

My invention has relation to that class of draw-bridges in which the bridge proper travels on rollers and spans the river or stream across which it is drawn with one-half of its length; and it consists in'the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,the letter A indicates the abutment, upon which the outer end of the draw'B rests when spanning the stream, and O indicates the base upon which the bridge travels, and which is either upon the bank or the portion of the bridge nearest to the bank. The base is provided with two longitudinal rails, D D, usually consisting of two parallel beams, faced upon their upper sides with'iron. The carriage E travels upon the track formed by these rails, and consists of a frame,F, having one shaft, G, j ournaled transversely in its inner end, provided with two rollers or flanged wheels, H H, which travel upon the track, and two transverse shafts, II, journaled at its outer end, provided with flanged wheels or rollers J J and K K,which likewise travel upon the track. The transverse shafts at the outer end of the carriage are provided with cog-wheels L L, which mesh with a pinion, M, upon ashaft, N, jourtightening-links, X.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,058, dated December 8, 1885.

Serial No.178,907. (No model.)

naled transversely in the forward end of the frame, and the outer end of this shaft is provided with a cog-wheel, O, which meshes with a pinion, P, upon a short shaft, Q, provided with a crank, R, for revolving it, the said outer end ofthe shaft N and the short shaft provided with the crank being journaled in a frame, S, secured upon a platform, T, at one side of the outer end of the carriage.

The draw has two parallel longitudinal rails or beams, U U, faced upon their lower sides with iron, and these beams or rails travel upon the upper sides of the flanged rollers of the carriage, the said rollers projecting with their edges above and below the frame.

The draw is preferably of the usual truss form, having upright posts V V at its lniddle, and braces \V N secured at the ends of the bridge and passing over the upper ends of. the upright posts, and provided with the usual It will now be seen that when the crank is turned from left to right, or with the sun, the rollers will travel out upon the track upon the base, and at the same time act upon the rails of the draw, forcing them out ward,elosing the draw, while when the crank is turned in the opposite direction, against the sun, the carriage will travel inward and the draw will likewise travel inward.

By reason of the carriage being interposed between the draw and the base-rails, the track for the carriage needs not to be as long as if the draw was provided with rollers and traveled upon the track,the track being only the length of the carriage and one-halfofthe distance from the base to the abutment, while if the carriage was dispensed with and the draw provided with the rollers traveling upon the baserails, the said rails would have to be the length of the entire draw. Time is also saved by interposing the carriage, inasmuch as the draw does not only travel with the speed with which its rails travel upon the rollers, but to this speed is added the speed wit-h which the carriage travels upon the base-rails, so that the bridge is moved in or out with double the speed with which it would move if it traveled directly upon the base-rails.

The inner end of the draw may either be inclined upon its upper side, so as to make an easy ascent from the road-bed to the draw, or

it may be provided with a hinged flap, Y,having chains 2 Z secured at its outer end and passing over pulleys A upon the tops of posts B at the end of the draw, the said chains be-- ing provided at their inner ends with eyes 0.

- ShaftN is provided near its ends with drums D,formed with hooks E upon their faces, and the eyes of the chains may be secured upon these hooks for the purpose of winding the chains upon the drums when it is desired ,to raise the flap or for lowering it.

For the purpose of allowing the shaft N to revolve without revolving the pinion upon the same, the said pinion turns upon the shaft, and is provided with a half-clutch, G, upon one face, which engages a half-clutch, H, which slides upon the shaft and turns with it. The latter halfclutch is formed with a peripheral groove, I, into which the bifurcated ends J of an elbow-lever, K, fit, and the clutch may be thrown into or out of engagement with the clutch upon the pinion by means of this elbow lever.

The hoisting ehains for the flap are provided with additional chains, L L, which may be hooked upon pins M upon the'sides of the draw, so that the flap may be held raised while the carriage and draw are moved, the eyes of the hoisting-chains being removed from the hooks upon the drums.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a draw-bridge, the combination of a base provided with parallel track-rails, a carriage having flanged rollers or wheels traveling upon the said rails, adraw having parallel rails traveling upon the rollers, and means for ievolving the rollers, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In a draw-bridge, the combination of a base provided with parallel track-rails, a carriage provided with transverse bearings in its outer and inner ends, a shaft journaled in the inner bearings, and provided with flanged rolland provided each with a cog-wheel'at their middles and with flanged rollers or wheels traveling upon the track, ashaft provided with a pinion meshing with the cog-wheels and having means for revolving it, and a draw traveling with parallel rails upon the rollers or Fvheels, as and for the purpose shown and set orth.

3. In combination with abase provided with parallel rails, a draw provided with corresponding parallel rails, and carriage having transverse shafts at its ends, provided with rollers traveling upon the base-rails and ha v ing the draw-rails traveling upon them, the shafts of the two pairs of front rollers being provided with cog-wheels, of a flap hinged to wheels upon the forward transverse shafts,

and provided with drums at its ends having hooks for the reception of the eyes of the chains, means for revolving the said shaft, a clutch turning with and sliding upon the shaft and engaging a clutch upon the pinion upon the shaft, means for sliding the said pinion, and means for supporting the flap when the chains are removed from the drums, as and.

for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim'the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARCELIN DAIGLE.

Witnesses:

THoMAs W. CURRANE,

BoBET BALLARD.

em or wheels traveling upon the base-rails, two shafts journaled in the forward bearings, 

